


Green-Soaked Love

by Honeybee_Bub



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Biology, Botany, Eventual Romance, F/M, Minor Original Character(s), Modern Era, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Plants, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:00:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24378391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honeybee_Bub/pseuds/Honeybee_Bub
Summary: A short story about beginning at a new university, the perks, the pains, and the pangs - of the heart. While desperately searching to form new bonds at her new school, Rachel may have stumbled upon something more.
Kudos: 3





	Green-Soaked Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is for you, Rachel -

**Hues of the Heart**

The shining through the library’s windows was scattered by the green, translucent shell of my mechanical pencil. It was plenty more entertaining than paying attention to the tasks at hand. The words on my textbook seemed to jumble together, and I had to strain my eyes to even begin to make any sense of them. 

It’s hard being in university. As if moving away from home, into a completely different country, wasn’t hard enough. I was hoping the university aspect of things would make up for the harder transitions, but university doesn’t seem all that exciting as it is made out to be. 

I continued to fiddle with my pencil, the lime shade speckling the words I couldn’t bear to read. 

Not everyone is friendly as I hoped, especially not my roommate. Out of all the people, I had to get shoved in tight corridors with some racist ass bitch who doesn’t give me the slightest bit of privacy. I haven’t had much luck with making the “life-long” college girlfriends everybody talks about. Even much less luck with any of the guys around here. I feel like I haven’t done anything other than homework that fails to spark my interest. The green slivers of light that were coating my textbook grew dim, as a cloud passed over the sun, blocking its rays from blinding everyone near the windows. I sighed and closed my textbook in defeat. 

_It can wait._

I hoisted my textbook and notebooks up and shoved them into my backpack awkwardly, just enough so I could zip my bag shut, and gathered the rest of my things. I stood up and scooted in my chair, wincing as it squeaked across the tiles. I tried not to look up and see if anybody paid attention to the sound, but I failed. A few eyes rested on me and that was enough for me to feel anxious in my own skin, so I left the library and decided to head on a walk. 

The brisk, biting wind of February nipped at my cheeks and made my eyes burn. It was around the same temperature in Canada as it was in Switzerland, where I used to live, this time of year, but it felt colder. I shivered and tugged my coat tighter around my body, trying to savour any warmth my jacket could provide me with. No matter how hard the wind blew, the trees corralling the cobblestone path, in the main part of campus, remained still. Frozen. 

They looked how I felt. Stiff, grey, and icy. 

Maybe if I just loosened up, went a little easier on myself, and threw myself out there things would be better off. But that is so much easier said than done. 

I quickened my pace once I checked my watch. I had a little less free time to study and mess about than I thought. I was supposed to be at the International Studies and HR building in less than a few minutes. 

Our new schedules were released last month, but I dropped my shitty statistics class and joined an “introduction to foreign policy and human rights” class. 

_Why do I literally have no idea where I’m going?_

I sighed, exasperatedly, frustrated with myself and my inability to remember things through the fog that settled in my brain at the beginning of my second semester. I whipped out my phone and frantically tried pulling up a picture of the crumbled campus map that I took back in September, but I felt more turned around while looking at the map than before. The cold was quickly getting to me and I felt my jaw begin to quiver — my teeth began to ache. I started to wish I wore a second layer of socks with how cold it was outside, that afternoon. This has to be an all time low — it’s freezing! I took a sharp turn into the nearest building to warm up and gather my bearings. I got a quick glimpse of the sign before I rushed through the main doors. Interdisciplinary Science Building. 

~ ❄❅❄❅❄ ~ 

The Interdisciplinary Science Building was bland, probably a clear reflection of every one of the students who take classes in this building. I walked further into the building, self conscious of the clacking my boots made on the pristine tiles. I leaned forward to peek down one of the hallways, starting to get lost in my thoughts and forgetting that I was supposed to be making my way to class. 

“Hello, you look a bit lost,” a thick, nasally voice said from behind, “can I help, ma’am?” I spun around so fast I almost lost my balance. 

“Oh, um . . . yeah, I-” I lost my train of thought as I saw who had approached me. Ah, this really is the science nerd building. The kid looked like he was a chemistry major who minored in Dungeons and Dragons. He had the glasses, greasy hair, braces, spit bubbles forming at the corners of his mouth, and all. “Sorry, I’m just looking for my . . . class,” I choked out quickly. 

“Yes, of course. I can most definitely help with that. I’m Rowan,” he reached out his hand to shake mine, moistening it with his sweat. I tried to suppress my grimace. I was unsuccessful, but I don’t think Rowan noticed. 

“You are in the main wing of the ISB, where are you supposed to be? Doesn’t look like you belong here, if I say so, myself! May I have the pleasure of seeing your schedule, milady?” He said with a quick nod. 

_Who said chivalry is dead? A perfect example right here: calling me “milady” and trying to tell me where I belong._

I pulled up my schedule on my phone and reluctantly handed it over to Rowan. 

“Ah, I see. You’re in the ISB-”

“I’m aware-” 

“Oh, alright. Well, you’re supposed to be in the International Studies and Human Rights Building, better known as ISHR Building Hall! It’s connected to our building by the Far East wing! It’s a nice little place, we often run into students from the-” I zoned out as Rowan blabbered on endlessly. I just wanted to know where my damn class was, not the whole history of the buildings. “-and it looks like you are on the lower level, 003, and nearly two . . . hours later!” Rowan said, gleefully. 

“Thanks,” I mumbled, taking back my phone and turning away, “wait did you say two hours late?” I looked down at my schedule in a panic, realizing that my class was scheduled at a completely different time slot that I originally thought.

_Damn it._

Today was not going as planned, by a long shot. 

“If you want, I can offer you a tour of the building your class is in? Maybe you won’t spend a full 120 minutes searching for the building, alone, next time!” He said, with a gargling chuckle.

“No, thanks. I’ll be fine. Thanks anyways!” I stepped back and quickly parted ways.

“It was nice to meet you-” 

“Rebecca!” I shouted back to Rowan, as I made my escape.

“Rebecca!” He hollered to me as he spun on his heels and set off on his path. 

I wiped the sweat off my brow as I hurried down the East Hall, trying to imagine what my life would be like as a “Rebecca”. 

I wasn’t about to give Rowan my real name, just so he can look up all the Rachels that attend Saint Mary’s University. 

I laughed to myself, shifting my backpack to my left shoulder, wondering how many majors majorly conform to their most popular stereotypes. Rowan definitely fell in line with his. I could almost feel the layer of spit he sprayed my face with during our short encounter. 

_Yuck._

The lights in the Interdisciplinary Science Building were sensor automated, and were off the majority of the time when students weren’t travelling. It was mildly eerie. There wasn’t much colour. There wasn’t much of anything. It looked like it was the least decorated area on campus. 

Everything was grey and dark, frozen in time, just like the cold winter that awaited me outside. 

It felt like somebody took a gigantic dropper and sucked all the colour and life out of this school. It was bland, boring, and depressing. 

The shadows in the corners of the hallways, and the dim, flickering LED lights added to the glum atmosphere. 

I trudged down the unending hallway, feeling more tired and achy by the minute. I really just wanted to have some hot cocoa and a lie down.

I passed a hallway intersection that was dark down two hallways, one lit up — with a group of students crouched in a circle — scribbling notes down into notebooks, and one more that was nearly dark except for a strange, green glow at the far end. 

My eyebrows furrowed together as I wondered what possibly could be down North Hall’s end. 

_Maybe all the science majors gathered together to experiment on aliens. That’s why there is nobody in sight._

I chuckled to myself at my stupid joke, relieved that no one heard it, and began to make my way towards the far East Hall, where the ISHR Building was, but my steps stuttered. 

I felt something pulling me towards North Hall. I was slightly curious about what could be down there, and since there was light at the end, it was less daunting to walk down than the pitch black halls of West and South. 

The green glow at the hall’s end was a bit unnerving, but still less so than complete darkness. I treaded swiftly down the hall, feeling the crisp air of the building grow humid and muggy. It smelled fresh and wet, like it would if it was springtime — but spring felt nowhere near. 

My nose twitched and the nape of my neck moistened at the rise in heat down the hall. 

_What in the world, this is weird — maybe they are doing weird experiments down here?_

The closer I got to the glow, the more I considered turning around, but I kept on going. 

I was greeted by a large, glass wall on both sides of the hallway, sending the green hues in all different directions. Both sides of the hallway were huge rooms filled with thriving plant life. Vibrant and blooming flowers, species of trees that I had never seen before, and the wild underbrush plants. 

“Wow,” I said audibly. 

I didn’t care for plant life too much. It was nice, but I could rarely keep my own plants alive whenever I’d buy them. To grow and nurture plants at this level was more than impressive. 

My reflection in the glass stared back at me in awe. I slowly approached the sliding glass doors — they opened into another set of doors — and the ones I entered through sealed behind. I gasped as air whooshed around me, nearly taking my breath away for a moment, then the second set of doors opened into the world of green that shined brightly in front of me. 

~ ❄❅❄❅❄ ~

I carefully tip-toed around the plant life, trying to stick to the dirt path that weaved through the greenhouse — the winter garden that bloomed all around me. 

“Are you new?” A hoarse, fruitful voice asked from behind. 

I turned quickly, worried I may have stepped into a place on campus I wasn’t cleared to enter. I stood there for a moment — maybe a few moments — with my mouth opening and closing like a fish trying to communicate with the glass tank that housed it. 

A boy, a bit taller than I was, with a thin frame, stood before me in a white lab coat. 

As some would say, the kid’s a _looker_.

“Uh, new?” I asked, full of uncertainty. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He nodded and turned back to face a plant he had been tending to.

I couldn’t detect his tone. He didn’t seem angry that I was there, but I couldn’t be sure.

“If you’re new, you’re an hour and a half early for your shift. But, you know what they say, early bird gets the worm!,” He stated, not looking up from his plant. 

“Uh, no. Sorry, I am not working here . . . I just got lost.” I gritted my teeth, feeling my cheeks burn dark.

“Ah, okay,” He said, simply. 

His dark, curly hair fell in front of his forehead in coils as he knelt down to eye-level with the plant. I could see the warm freckles that dotted his nose. He squinted his eyes, focusing on the plant, then jotting down words on a notepad that was propped up on his knee. 

“I’m sorry, I should probably get out of your hair. I’m distracting you from working,” I blurted out, preparing to scurry out the same doors I entered. 

“I don’t mind being distracted every now and then,” He looked up at me, through his thick-lensed, round spectacles — his eyes dark and observant, “My name is August Lloyd. Who might you be?” 

“Uh, Rachel. My name’s Rachel.” 

“That’s a nice name.” 

“What?” I held back a laugh, “that’s one of the most basic names I know of! Especially when you compare it with your name!” 

“I think my name is a bit too much, honestly,” August admitted, “my parents thought they were quirky. And everyone wants to point out that I have the same name as that hunk everyone loved in _The Fault in our Stars_.” 

“Wait, didn’t he die?” I snickered, trying to remember what that book was about. 

“Yeah, he had cancer.” 

“Oh . . . well, that’s terrible.” I frowned, feeling mildly embarrassed. 

“True, that’s the difference between us.” 

“What is?” 

“I won’t be dying anytime soon.” 

I laughed again. 

_He’s really weird._

“Unless, you know, one of my venus fly traps mutates and eats me whole. Then we’d be in the same boat, wouldn’t we?” He grinned. 

“You would,” I agreed. 

_But I kinda like that._

"So, you . . . work here? In this place?” 

“Yes, I do. I have been working here since the beginning of the semester. I’m double majoring in botany and biochemistry.” 

"Wow, that’s really cool, August.” “ 

"Thank you, Rachel. I appreciate that.” 

"Yeah, for sure.” I had only just met August but I had this warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest and a dizzying swirl in my stomach. I had to force myself from being too forthcoming and obnoxious. 

_Don’t freak him out. Be chill._

“I think this is one of the most peaceful places on campus. I would sleep here if I could.” 

"Really?” 

“What, do you like the dorms or something? Because if you do, I don’t know what to tell you, Rachel.” August chuckled, his cheeks tinted pink. 

“God, no. Definitely not! People who like the dorms here have _no_ rights.” 

August laughed a little harder. 

“I was just surprised that you’d want to . . . sleep here. It seems interesting.” 

August nodded and swept his curls back off his forehead. “Yeah, a bit, but the plants’ energy is so calming it can lull you to sleep easy.”

“Are there . . . any bugs in here?” 

“Well, yeah, quite a few, but they are secluded in a certain section, except for the pollinators.” 

“Pollinators?” 

“You know, like bees and butterflies,” August shrugged. 

“Wow, you guys have butterflies here?” 

“It’s Canada, not Antartica.” August laughed. 

I felt heat rise up my neck and into my cheeks, embarrassment flooded me. 

“I only kid, I only kid,” He insisted. 

“Whew, I was starting to worry you thought I was a total idiot!”

“No, of course not!” August reassured me, “and even if you were, there’s always hope for improvement!” 

I couldn’t help but grin wildly at him. 

He was so nice, so sweet. August was smart and funny. 

_Maybe there’s some potential here?_

I shoved down my thoughts before I could even process them. 

I never had any luck with boys. I either never racked up the courage to talk to them, they didn’t have mutual feelings, or they didn’t want to date the girl who moved schools every four months because her parents worked for the government. Even in one place, I wouldn’t have a chance with him. 

_You know this all, already. Do not get hooked, Rachel. It only hurts worse in the end._

“I don’t usually get a lot of company in here,” August said, “and when I do, I usually tell them to piss off.” 

_It only hurts worse in the end._

“Am I . . . an exception?” I asked, acting overly shocked. 

August laughed, his nose scrunching up and wrinkling his freckles. “Who knows? Maybe?” He raised his eyebrows, trying to hold a serious face. 

A bang on the glass of the greenhouse made the both of us jump, and we both spun around to the source of the noise. “Shit,” August muttered. An older woman, wearing a white lab coat, similar to August’s, gestured at him in frustration. 

“Is that your boss?” I asked, voice wavering slightly. 

I did _not_ need to get into any trouble as a freshman here. I, _especially_ , don’t need to get August in trouble. 

“Indeed it is, you’d better head on out.” 

“Of course, I’ll stop hassling you so you can return to your plants!” I said with a warm smile. 

“Thank you, much appreciated!” August nodded to me, humour lacing his voice. 

I made my way back down the dirt path to the exit. 

“Hey, Rachel,” August called out. 

“Yeah?” My heart pounded rapidly. 

“It was nice — meeting you! Maybe we’ll see each other around again, sometime soon?”

“Definitely!” 

He let loose a big grin as I waved my goodbyes, stepping into the air-sealed doors. 

_God, I hope we do._

**Author's Note:**

> \- you big, fat, white nasty, smellin' fat bitch! Why you took my off the motherfuckin' schedule, with your trifling, dirty white, racist ass BITCH!


End file.
